Bail attachment for can tops



J. HENCHERT BAIL ATTACHMENT FOR CAN TOPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR kfaizrz/ ffendzerl- ZIfiM/M, I g ATTORNIEYS June 23, 1964 Filed April 12,

June 23, 1964 J. HENCHERT 3,133,284

BAIL ATTACHMENT FOR CAN TOPS Filed April 12, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV E NTOR Win,

ATTORNEYS June 23, 1964 J. HENCHERT 3,138,284

BAIL ATTACHMENT FOR CAN TOPS Filed April 12, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fae-.6

W V m ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,138,284 BAIL ATTAQHMENT FOR CAN TGPS J elm I-Ienchert, River Forest, Ill., assignor to Qontinental Can Company, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 102,512 1 Claim. (Cl. 22091) The invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the bail structures and mountings therefor usually provided on cans for facilitating the lifting and carrying of the cans. Itis a common practice to provide cans with bail mounting ears attached to the sides of the cans, and to attach the bails by insertion of end portions thereof into the eyes. This manner of mounting the bails provides for projection of the mounting ears and portions of the bails outwardly beyond the sides of the cans in an objectionable manner interfering with close placing of cans beside cans, and for at times bringing about displacement and loss or destructive bending of bails by contact with other cans or damaging objects. Also, in this manner of mounting the bails, difiicult problems are en countered in the formation and aflixing of the bail ears and in the attaching of the bails thereto. It is a purpose of the present invention to avoid the problems and objections referred to by providing improved bail mountings which can be applied to the cans with great facility by a snap on action, and wherein projections beyond the sides of the cans are entirely eliminated.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved bail mounting on a can having a body and a closure ring attached to the'body by an upstanding seam and including an upstanding neck spaced inwardly from the seam, bail attaching means being mounted on and placed closely above the ring at opposite sides of the can, and the bail being swingably connected at its ends to the attaching means and swingable between an extended can carrying position and a rest position in contact with the ring, and shaped to lie in generally horizontal position and in generally concentric relation between the seam and the neck when in its rest position.

Another object of the invention is to provide mountings of the character stated wherein the bail attaching means includes a pivot eye mounting means swingably engaged by a bail end at each side of the can, and novel snap-on means yieldably holding the eye mounting means in place on the closure ring. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide mountings of the character stated wherein the snap-on means include deformable, resilient plastic fitments of novel form equipped with the pivot eye mounting means and which are mounted in and project upwardly through receiving openings provided therefor in the closure ring.

A further object of the invention is to provide mountings of the character stated wherein the snap-on means is in the form of a ring snapped over and yieldably retained on the closure ring neck and which carries the bail attaching mounting eye means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide mountings of the character stated wherein the snap-on ring and the bail attaching eyes carried thereon are shaped up from a single piece of heavy Wire, one eye being twistformed at each side of the ring.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claim and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating one form of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross section taken on the line 22 on FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 illustrating another form of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 illustrating another form of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross section taken on the line 55 on FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 illustrating another form of the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical cross section taken on the line 7-7 on FIGURE 6.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 the improved bail and mounting means are applied on a metal container having a body 5 on which a closure ring 6 is double seam secured at 7. The ring 6 is provided with a wide open mouth defined by an outwardly turned curl 8 at the upper end extremity of an upstanding neck R. The neck E is equipped with interrupted threads ill pressed outwardly thereon and adapted to be engaged by quick detachable bent thread lugs 11 provided at equidistantly spaced intervals about the skirt 12 terminating downwardly in an inwardly turned curl and depending from a cover 14. The cover is equipped with an annular bead 15 carrying a sealing compound 16 which is engageable over the closure ring neck curl 8 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2.

At diametrically opposite sides thereof, the closure ring 6 is pierced by upwardly flanged mounting openings 17 through which plastic bail ear mounting means or fitments generally designated 18 are inserted upwardly, or from the interiorly presented or lower face of the closure ring 6. Each such fitment includes a body 19, and an abutment flange 20 at its lower end extremity and which engages the undersurface of the ring as shown in FIGURE 2. Each fitment also includes a reduced upper end portion extending above an enlargement 22 which is passed through and deformed in the respective flanged mounting opening 17, said enlargement terminating just above'the flanged opening where its deformation presents a retaining shoulder as indicated at 23.

A cross bore 24 is formed in each reduced extension 21, thereby forming a bail receiving pivot eye, and a horizontally bent end extremity 25 at each end of the bail 26 is passed inwardly through one said bore 24- in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. The ball normal condition illustrated in FIGURE 2 so as to yieldably retain the swingably mounted bail ends. It will be apparent by reference to FIGURES l and 2 that the bail is so shaped with relation to the closure ring 6, the mounting bead '7 and the upstanding neck 9 that it can be swung down to a generally horizontal position as illustrated in FIGURE 1, in which position the bail lies in generally concentric relation between the neck 9 and the bead 7. When collapsed the bail is disposed in an out of the way place where it will not projectoutside the diameter of the can or be in position where it can be readily engaged and damaged by contact. However, the bail is in position for being readily accessible so that it can be raised to the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 for its intended lifting and carrying function.

In FIGURE 3 of the drawing, a slightly modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein each fitment 28 is mounted in the same manner previously described and is in generally the same form except that its upward projection 29 has a bail end receiving bore which is restricted at the central portion at 30 and has enlarged or endwise flared or coniform end portions 31 at each side of said center portion, thereby forming a bail receiving pivot eye. The bail 32 has its inwardly directed and extremities upwardly inclined at 33 and inserted inwardly through the bores 30-31 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3 to provide the desired swingable mounting for the bail.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, each fitment 34 is mounted in the previously described manner and is similar in general structure except that its upward projection 35 has an inward lateral projection 36 which is circular in vertical cross section and has an annular groove 37 formed therein. In this mounting, a circular eye 38 is formed on each end extremity of the bail 39 and the bail is mounted by snapping its eyes outwardly over the fitment projections 36 and into the rooves 37 thereof, thereby to provide the desired swingable mounting for the bail.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the carrying bail equipment is attached to the can or container structure in generally the same manner as previously described except for the fact that the closure ring 40 has its upstanding neck 41 provided with an outwardly projecting annular bead 42. A mounting ring 43 is snapped under the bead and closely encircles the neck beneath the head in the manner illustrated in FIG- URES 6 and 7. The ring is twisted at its opposite sides at 44 to provide bail mounting pivot eyes 45. It is to be understood that the ring 43 and its bail mounting eyes 45 are formed from a single piece of heavy wire, and it is preferred that the break line 46 be placed in one of the eyes 45. However, the invention is not limited to this specific placement and the break line could be placed elsewhere. Also, said break line can be bonded as by welding and the like, or not so bonded, depending on preference or service conditions. The mounting eyes 47 formed at the ends of the bail 48 are swingably connected with the eyes 45 in the manner clearly illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7.

It will be apparent that in all of the forms of the invention described herein, the bails are swingably connected with the mounting elements of various forms close to the respective closure ring, and are swingable, as previously stated, to a generally horizontal position and in generally concentric relation between the neck of the ring closure and the seam by which said ring closure is attached to the container body. See FIGURES 1, 4 and 6. Thus the bails are placed in a generally out of the way position in which they will not interfere with convenient stacking and handling of the cans, and yet will be readily accessible whenever it is desired to utilize the same in lifting and carrying the cans.

While preferred and alternative forms of the invention are disclosed in detail herein, it is to be understood that other modifications in the form and arrangement of parts may be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination, a can having a body and a closure ring attached to the body by an upstanding seam and including an upstanding neck spaced inwardly from said seam, bail attaching means detachably mounted on and placed closely above the ring at opposite sides of the can, and a bail swingably connected at its ends to said bail attaching means and swingable between an extended can carrying position and a rest position in contact with the ring, said bail being shaped to lie in generally horizontal position and in generally concentric relation between said seam and neck when in its rest position, the ring including a pair of upwardly directed openings therein, one at each side thereof, and the bail attaching means comprising a flanged plastic fitment extending upwardly through each said opening with its flange against the ring and an upper end portion extending above said upstanding seam and below the upper extremity of said upstanding neck and having a bail engaging portion swingably engaged by a respective end of said bail, each of said plastic fitments including an enlarged portion and a reduced upper end portion, the outer diameter of the enlarged portion being normally greater than the diameter of said upwardly directed openings so that said enlarged portion is deformed within said openings to form a seal therewith, said reduced upper end portion of each of said plastic fitments having a bore therethrough, said bail being provided with end portions projecting through the bores to swingably connect the bail to the plastic fitments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,269,738 Patterson June 18, 1918 1,616,305 Coyle Feb. 1, 1927 2,086,489 Bowersox July 6, 1937 2,792,958 Beyer May 21, 1957 2,901,144 Haustrup Aug. 25, 1959 2,935,223 Crowley May 3, 1960 2,963,204 Pottle Dec. 6, 1960 2,985,330 Buys May 23, 1961 3,009,551 Hotkins Nov. 21, 1961 3,037,654 Buys June 5, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 395,154 France Dec. 19, 1908 542,216 Belgium Nov. 14, 1955 559,369 Belgium Oct. 1957 

